The present invention relates to an improved railway box car body structure and particularly to a structure wherein the longitudinal side walls are comprised of a plurality of vertical side posts and structural horizontal stiffeners interconnected in such a way as to accommodate a recessed horizontal interconnection of ferrous sheet members to form flush inner side surfaces which are free of any obstructing elements not to damage shifting cargo transported by the box car.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,814 describes a car body for a railway car and particularly for passenger cars and wherein the side wall structure is formed with steel posts, stiffeners, rails, window heads and these are joined by brackets and outer side plates secured to the frame members by blind rivets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,546 relates to a box car end structure which is the type of railway rolling stock cars that the present invention relates. This patent typifies some of the problems that the present invention wishes to overcome. For example, the flat end wall liner is affixed by welding or by the use of mechanical fasteners to secure it to the end wall frame members. These welds or fasteners will cause damage to cargo if the cargo is thrust against the wall by sudden braking or acceleration of the railway car. This is particularly hazardous when the lading is a fragile material such as paper rolls. Any kink in the roll is transmitted through many paper sheet layers and accordingly the roll has to be discarded or its value is greatly reduced. Such damaged rolls also require further handling and insurance claims and require more effort on the part of all concerns. Accordingly, it can be seen that damage to such lading is troublesome and very costly.
There is also a need to provide better lighting in these box cars. U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,074 describes an improved composite roof structure for a railway car and wherein skylights are incorporated all along the roof structure. The skylights are designed such as to be aerodynamic and provide a flush interior surface whereby to minimize damage during loading and unloading of the railway car. This patent is not concerned with load shifting but particularly damage to products during the loading and unloading process when the product is manipulated inside the box car by forklift trucks during loading and unloading.
While passenger railway car bodies have been greatly improved in the past, very little design work has been directed to improving box car designs whereby to transport goods in a safer and more efficient manner.
It is therefore a feature of the present invention to provide a railway box car structure having an improved longitudinal side wall structure whereby the inner ferrous sheet cladding forms flush inner side walls free of any obstructions.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a railway box car side wall structure comprising hat-shaped vertical side posts having structural flanges and horizontal stiffeners also having structural flanges and interconnected together to accommodate a recessed horizontal interconnection of the inner side wall ferrous sheet cladding.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an improved roof frame with stiffeners and capable of incorporating therein skylights of improved design.
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a railway box car body structure comprising a flooring structure, a side wall on both longitudinal sides of the flooring structure and extending thereabove. An end frame is provided at opposed transverse ends of the flooring structure between opposed ends of the side walls. A roof frame constitutes an upper surface of the body structure. The side wall has a plurality of spaced-apart vertical side posts. The vertical side posts each have a hat-shaped cross-section having a bottom wall portion, opposed side walls and opposed end flanges aligned in a common plane. Horizontal structural stiffeners are secured between the vertical side posts. The stiffeners define a recessed wall portion aligned with a recessed formation formed in the opposed end flanges of the vertical side posts. Ferrous sheet members are secured to the side wall and end frames by recessed horizontal connections formed in the recessed wall portion to form flush inner side walls of the railway box car.
According to a further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a railway box car body structure which comprises a flooring structure, a side wall on both longitudinal sides of the flooring structure and extending thereabove, and an end frame at opposed transverse ends of the flooring structure between opposed ends of the side walls. A roof frame constitutes an upper surface of the body structure. The roof frame is comprised by a roof panel assembly having spaced-apart transverse roof stiffeners. The roof stiffeners are of L-shaped cross-section defining a vertical connecting web and a transverse outer angle structural flange. A ferrous roof sheeting is secured to the connecting webs of opposed transverse stiffeners spaced below the structural flange. The roof sheeting is secured to the webs by attachment means to provide for a weather-proof connection and a flush unobstructed interior roof surface.
According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a railway box car body structure which comprises a flooring structure, a side wall on both longitudinal sides of the flooring structure and extending thereabove, and an end frame at opposed transverse ends of the flooring structure between opposed ends of the side walls. A roof frame constitutes an upper surface of the body structure. The roof frame includes one or more skylight modules. The modules each have a circular sealing ring secured about a circular hole formed in a ferrous roof sheeting of the roof framing. An outer circular skylight disc is provided and has a translucent panel section and a circumferential depending circular connecting flange. A seal compressing annular flange projects about the disc in an uppermost region of the depending connecting flange. A clamping inner circular ring is provided and has a circular cavity thereabout configured to receive an end section of the depending circular connecting flange in close fit therein. Fastener means are provided for clamping engagement of the inner circular ring with the circular connecting flange whereby to squeeze the circular sealing ring between the annular flange of the disc and a sealing ring clamping surface of the clamping inner circular ring.